Michigan men plead guilty

PRINCETON — Two Michigan men have pleaded guilty in Bureau County Court to felony drug charges.

On March 28, Terrence Griffin, 46, of Detroit, Mich., entered a guilty plea to the Class 2 felony charge of unlawful possession with the intent to deliver more than 500 grams of cannabis. He was sentenced to serve three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and ordered to pay fines, fees and court costs totaling $12,000, which he paid at the time of the plea.

On March 28, Dewey Jones, 41, of South Field, Mich., entered a guilty plea to the Class 3 felony of unlawful possession with intent to deliver more than 30 grams of cannabis. He was sentenced to serve two years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and ordered to pay fines, fees and court costs totaling $12,000, which he paid at the time of the plea.

Jones was represented in Bureau County Court by Marseilles attorney Timothy Cappellini. Griffin was represented in court by Peru attorney Douglas Olivero. Prosecuting the case was State's Attorney Patrick Herrmann. Presiding over the case was Associate Circuit Judge C.J. Hollerich.

On Oct. 21, 2011, the Illinois State Police stopped a rental vehicle driven by Griffin on eastbound Interstate 80. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed six bundles of cannabis in luggage in the trunk of the vehicle. Jones was the only passenger in the vehicle.

In previous convictions, Jones had a weapons conviction in Michigan for which he was sentenced in 2007 to the Department of Corrections. He also had three misdemeanor convictions between 1993 and 2005 in Michigan. Griffin was convicted of second degree murder in 1986 in Michigan.